Plant Native Shrubs Instead of Invasive Species: A List of Both Types

Strolling through my New York City neighborhood I get to enjoy the beautiful Rose of Sharon flowering shrub - one is right outside my window. I also had this pleasure when I strolled through my neighborhood in Seoul, S. Korea during the years I worked there. I remember thinking 'Seoul has the same flower we have back home.' But, how can both cities, more than 6,000 miles apart, have this same flower?

The Rose of Sharon (Hibiscus syriacus) is native to Asia and is the national flower of S. Korea - where it is known as the mugunghwa. However, it is an invasive species here in North America, having been introduced right before the 1600s, according to the Floridata website. (see photo below for the Rose of Sharon flower)

In fact many of the shrubs we have planted here are invasive.

What are invasive species and what are native species?

The U.S. government defines an invasive species, in this case shrubs, as plants not native to the ecosystem being considered. Additionally, by introducing non-native species, these plants can cause, or are likely to cause harm that is economic, environmental, as well as harmful to human health.

Native species, however, occur naturally in a particular ecosystem. In this case the shrub (or tree or plant) originated there without human help. Bear in mind, that plants growing in one part of the U.S. can be considered invasive in another part. This is because different regions of the U.S. are at different elevations, have different soil types and also different weather patterns.

How did invasive shrubs get into the U.S.?

Invasive plants are not an accident; they were brought here intentionally, according to the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. Additionally, about half of the most damaging invasive plants degrading natural habitats throughout the U.S., were brought here for horticultural purposes. Many are still being sold for quick growth and erosion control or simply to look beautiful in the landscape.

Highway departments in the U.S. have often sought quick growing invasive plants in order to establish rapidly growing ground cover, especially where the grounds slope.

What kind of damage is caused by invasive shrubs?

When invasive shrubs are planted in a new ecosystem, they may displace native plants by growing faster, taller, wider and then creating a shade cover over native species. This can disrupt the nutrient cycle of native plants. The results can have a devasting effect on food and homes for animals - which too often we forget about.

In dollars and cents, such damage caused by the use of invasive plants costs about $120 billion dollars each year. About 42 percent of threatened species on the U.S. List of Endangered and Threatened Species are now there because of nonnative species. (See link below explaining how animals are placed on the endangered species list).

Invasive shrubs can be hard to maintain and also hard to eliminate. Prevention is the best solution.

How can I easily tell if a shrub is native or non native/invasive?

An easy way to tell is by the name. The place of origin is sometimes part of the name. For example, the American Yew and Texas Ranger are native shrubs. The Japanese Barberry and English Hawthorn are not native, as the names indicates.

To provide food for wildlife (other than people) and for more information about native and invasive shrubs, see the lists below:

List of Native Shrubs

Alabama Snow-Wreath

American Beautyberry

American Snowbell

American Yew

Carolina Buckthorn (use in wildlife plantings)

Carolina Cherry Laurel

Florida Leucothoe

New Jersey Tea

Texas Ranger

Virginia Sweetspire

More Native Shrubs in Alphabetical Order

Antelope Brush

Apache Plume

Arborvitae

Bayberry

Bearberry/Kinnikinnick

Black Chokeberry

Black Haw

Bottle-Brush Buckeye

Bush Honeysuckle (avoid the other honeysuckles on the invasive list)

Button Bush

Climbing Hydrangea/Wood Vamp (hydrangeas also have health benefits - see link below)

Climbing Prairie Rose

Clove Currant

Cock-Spur Hawthorn

Coral Bean

Coralberry

Creeping Blueberry

Desert Olive (attracts wildlife)

Desert Willow

Devilwood

Fragrant Sumac

Gray Dogwood

Groundsel Tree

Hairy Manzanita

Highbush Blueberry (is a native food plant)

Highbush Cranberry (is edible and can be planted instead of the European Cranberry Bush)

Honey Mesquite

Indian Plum

Inkberry

Marlberry

Mountain Holly

Mountain Spirea

Ninebark

Oakleaf Hydrangea (hydrangeas also have health benefits - see link below)

Pinemat Manzanita

Red Chokeberry (attracts birds)

Red Osier Dogwood

Redroot

Rose Spirea

Rubber Rabbitbrush

Scarlet Elder (useful in wildlife borders)

Scarlet Mallow

Shiny-Leaf Meadowsweet

Silk Bay

Silky Willow

Silverberry (provides food for wildlife)

Silver Buffaloberry (birds and other animals like these berries)

Smooth Witherod

Sourwood

Southern Wax Myrtle

Spicebush

Sweet Pepperbush/Summersweet

Toyon (attracts wildlife)

Tree Anemone/Carpenteria

Tree Lupine

Twinberry

Waxflower/Cliffbush

Western Sweetshrub

Wild Coffee

Wild Lilac/Blue Blossom

Winged Sumac

Winterberry (provides food for birds and other wildlife)

Witch Alder

Witch Hazel

Witherod

Yaupon

Avoid These Invasive Shrubs

Brazilian Pepper Tree

English Hawthorn

European Cranberry Bush (plant the edible Highbush Cranberry instead)

Japanese Barberry

Japanese Spirea

Japanese Yew (replace with American Yew)

Russian Olive

Scotch Broom

Siberian Pea Shrub

More Invasive Shrubs in Alphabetical Order

Autumn Olive

Beach Naupaka

Buckthorn

Butterfly Bush

Chaste Tree

Cotoneaster

Edible Fig

Euonymus (Fortune's, Winged)

Heavenly Bamboo

Honeysuckle (Amur, Dwarf, Morrow's, Tartarian) - These familiar plants have invaded most of North America. Be sure to look for the Bush Honeysuckle, listed on the native list above.

Jetbead

Lantana

Multiflora Rose/Beach Rose

Myoporum

Privets (often used as hedges - there are seven types)

Rose of Sharon (has invaded New York through to Missouri, down south to Texas and Georgia, as well as Utah)

Shoebutton Ardisia

Tall Hedge Buckthorn

Tamarisk

Viburnum (Double-FIle, Linden, Siebold, Tea)

Wayfaring Tree

For more information about native and invasive trees and vines, see links below.